(FORTUNE Magazine) – Here they are, the speed racers of the economy. To track them down for this fastest-100 list, compiled by Zacks Investment Research, we looked for companies
that are based in the U.S., have been in operation for three years, and have revenues and a market capitalization of at least $50 million. Then we picked out those with a 30% annual
growth rate for three years in both revenue and earnings per share, and with positive earnings in the latest quarter. We ranked those companies by growth in revenue, EPS, and total
stock-market return over three years and then added the scores from those three categories. The result is the list you see below.

[1] [4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT] [Other] 4Kids produces Pokemon films and holds licensing rights to put the creatures on T-shirts, backpacks, and school supplies for obsessed
grade-schoolers. Recently some investors have fled, fearing the company is a one-trick Pokemon.

[2] [RF MICRO DEVICES] [Telecommunications] Demand for wireless handsets is growing at 50% a year, and RF Micro makes the communications chips they need. Biggest customer: Nokia. It
also sells a broadband product line based on Bluetooth, a short-range wireless standard.

[4] [NETWORK APPLIANCE] [Technology] The favorite storage closet for many Websites, Network Appliance is a rising star in the data-storage market. Yahoo buys one of its filers every
other week. Its equipment not only stores information but also makes it readily available.

[5] [SOURCE INFORMATION MGMT.] [Industrial] How did a company that makes supermarket magazine-display racks grow so fast? By tracking sales and marketing information and selling
it--online--to publishers like Time Warner and retailers like Barnes & Noble and Kmart.

[6] [SALTON] [Other] This housewares designer and marketer churns out celebrity-endorsed products like Linda Evans beauty creams and, of course, George Foreman grills. It plans to
introduce a new

[6] [ZOMAX] [Technology] Internet appliance soon. No star sponsor for that--yet. You want to sell a great new computer game? Zomax will mold, package, market, and distribute the CD
for you. An outsourcer for CD and software publishing and computer companies, Zomax has seen its revenues soar.

[8] [I2 TECHNOLOGIES] [Technology] This supply-chain management firm wants to become a one-stop shop for companies that buy and sell on the Internet. So it recently bought two
companies that compile information about electronic and other parts as well as about dealers.

[9] [DIAMOND TECH. PARTNERS] [Technology] The tech-consulting firm specializes in helping FORTUNE 1,000 companies come up with an e-business strategy--and the technology to make it
happen. Diamond advised the Big Three on Covisint, the automakers' B2B exchange.

[10] [STERICYCLE] [Other] Stericycle carts off and disposes of 600 million pounds of medical waste from hospitals and doctors' offices every year. The biggest company in its field
recently got bigger by buying Browning-Ferris' medical-waste division.

[11] [CREE] [Technology] While it may not have a monopoly on the color blue, Cree has numerous patents on blue-light-emitting silicon carbide diodes. Why care? Because its diodes make
backlighting for dashboards and cell-phone and LCD displays.

[12] [JAKKS PACIFIC] [Other] Jakks' strength comes from six-inch-tall WWF action figures, but investors have begun to doubt muscular growth in that market. So Jakks is now jumping on
a more cerebral kid phenom by selling Harry Potter craft sets.

[13] [MERCURY INTERACTIVE] [Technology] If business relies on e-commerce, then the Web has to be reliable. That's where Mercury comes in. A Website-testing and -monitoring company,
Mercury has eyed the online operations of Wal-Mart, Ford, Citibank, and J.P. Morgan.

[14] [MERITAGE] [Industrial] Record sales of its midpriced homes in robust markets like Phoenix, Houston, and the San Francisco Bay Area couldn't overcome investors' fears of higher
interest rates--although the stock price regained some ground this summer.

[15] [HAIN CELESTIAL GROUP] [Other] Not just for health-food stores, Hain markets 1,500 organic, kosher, and diet foods under brands like Garden of Eatin' and Weight Watchers. In May,
Hain bought Celestial Seasonings, bringing popular herb teas into the mix.

[16] [VISX] [Health care] Visx is laser eye surgery. The company holds some 150 patents for laser technology to correct vision and charges a per-procedure licensing fee. But threats
from competitors and fewer surgeries than expected have scared away investors.

[17] [THQ] [Technology] The videogame maker works with big studios to bring Rugrats and Power Rangers to kiddie gamers--and with the WWF to deliver body-slamming sport to a different
crowd. Lower-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings brought the stock down.

[18] [EXTENDED STAY AMERICA] [Other] Investors loved the Extended Stay concept--lodging for travelers staying a week or more--until competitors jumped in and fears of overbuilding
grew. Now such fears are fading, and Extended Stay plans to open hotel No. 400 next year.

[19] [HAUPPAUGE DIGITAL] [Technology] Want to keep an eye on CNBC from your PC? This company's WinTV video boards let you. Slow sales of its digital line, combined with a weak
euro--it has a big market in Europe--led the company to warn of a loss in its next quarter.

[20] [CONCORD CAMERA] [Industrial] When you take snapshots with an Agfa or Polaroid disposable, you're really getting a Concord camera. Concord also sells its own brands of throwaway
cameras, and recently launched an inexpensive digital camera.

[21] [MCSI] [Technology] Formerly known as Miami Computer Supply, MCSi integrates audiovisual, broadcast, and computer tech for the likes of Microsoft and the Sydney Olympics. In
July, it sold off a low-margin wholesale unit.

[23] [ADVANCE PARADIGM] [Health care] This prescription-drug benefit manager processed more than 81 million claims last fiscal year, and stands to become the nation's largest provider
of drug benefits when its purchase of PCS from Rite Aid goes through.

[23] [FOREST LABORATORIES] [Health care] Forest licenses drugs developed by other companies, then handles the clinical and regulatory work, plus marketing. Its top-selling drug is
antidepressant Celexa; an Alzheimer's drug is in clinical trials.

[25] [CALPINE] [Other] Calpine got a jolt from utilities' deregulation. It sells electricity to utilities and industrial customers, and with new markets open to competition, it has
been building plants and selling power in the Northeast, California, and Texas.

[26] [CHICO'S FAS] [Retail] Clothes and accessories for baby-boomer women enamored of natural fibers and silver jewelry. The chain now has 217 boutiques in 38 states and brags of
solicitous customer service. Plans afoot to open 50 more shops this year.

[27] [CITRIX SYSTEMS] [Technology] It changed its name from Citrus because it's not a fruit company. But some investors, stung by a bitter June earnings report, might consider the
stock a lemon. Citrix software runs applications on any device with any connection.

[28] [MINIMED] [Health care] A specialist in devices to help patients manage diabetes without injections, MiniMed invented an infusion pump that can be worn like a pager. Now the
company is trying to use the pump to treat other chronic health conditions.

[29] [ENRON] [Other] Enron keeps inventing new markets: The huge energy buyer and seller last year launched EnronOnline, where more than 900 products are traded. Now it's moving in on
broadband by trading excess bandwidth.

[30] [POLYMEDICA] [Health care] PolyMedica's biggest business is selling diabetes-testing supplies to seniors covered by Medicare. The company also makes and sells digital
thermometers, as well as prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

[30] [SUNRISE ASSISTED LIVING] [Health care] Americans aren't getting any younger, and this operator of assisted-living homes for the elderly keeps growing. But a tough acquisition
last fall made the stock dip. Sunrise builds and sells properties, and sticks around to manage them.

[32] [PINNACLE ENTERTAINMENT[*]] [Other] Pinnacle, once known just for racetracks, has been busily buying and selling casinos and building its own. The industry likes what it sees: If
all goes as planned, Pinnacle will become part of Harveys Casino Resorts by year-end.

[32] [SAPIENT] [Technology] The first pure Internet-services company to be listed on the S&P 500, this consulting firm saw its stock price soar in 1999. Now it's developing Web
initiatives with big companies and Thomas Weisel Capital Partners.

[34] [AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS] [Retail] After three years of double-digit growth, changing fashion trends tripped up youth retailer American Eagle. Growth hopes now ride on a new
line of personal-care products and a deal to become the outfitter for a Miramax film division.

[34] [SANDISK] [Technology] SanDisk's flash memory products--some as small as a stamp--store data for cell phones, Palms, Net music players, and digital cameras. The U.S. Army ordered
two million of SanDisk's P-tags for medical-data storage.

[37] [ARGUSS HOLDINGS] [Telecommunications] A construction outfit that lays cable and fiber-optic lines for telecom companies. Demand for more bandwidth means Arguss workers finish
laying lines on one side of a highway for one customer, only to work the other side for another.

[38] [INSIGHT ENTERPRISES] [Technology] Led by two brothers, Insight sells computers, hardware, and software to small and medium-sized businesses over the phone and on the Web. The
sales force gets pumped up working in "sales stadiums" that seat 200.

[39] [SCHULER HOMES] [Industrial] The homebuilding industry's sensitivity to interest-rate increases have depressed Schuler's stock price, but this Hawaii-based builder, with
operations in six states, keeps growing through acquisitions in Southern California and Arizona.

[41] [METRO ONE TELECOMM.] [Telecommunications] Lost in the middle of nowhere? With a cell phone in hand and Metro One's directory services (carried on AT&T Wireless or Sprint
PCS), you can get directions home and find a place to eat on the way.

[41] [METRIS] [Financial services] Spun off from its catalog parent Fingerhut in 1998, Metris uses direct marketing to sell credit cards to customers with moderate incomes. Last year
it acquired part of GE Capital's consumer credit card business.

[43] [K-SWISS] [Retail] The footwear industry had a tough 1999, and that dragged down the K-Swiss stock price. But this manufacturer of tennis and other sports shoes and apparel is
still having its second-most-profitable year.

[44] [DENDRITE INTERNATIONAL] [Technology] Dendrite's software, coaching, and consulting helps pharmaceuticals companies like Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson get the most out of
their sales force. Two key acquisitions in 1999 helped the firm grow market share in the U.S. and abroad.

[45] [ARMOR HOLDINGS] [Industrial] Armor sells riot-control and security equipment to law-enforcement agencies and corporations. Growing demand for corporate security in places like
Moscow and Bogota, plus 20 acquisitions in three years, have kept Armor growing.

[45] [HOT TOPIC] [Retail] You may not know the difference between Cisco and Sisqo, but your teenager does. Teen music fads are retailer Hot Topic's specialty. Its stores and
profitable Website offer music-inspired clothing, plus the latest dish on the stars.

[47] [MEADE INSTRUMENTS] [Industrial] The sky's the limit for Meade, a telescope and binoculars maker that went public three years ago. Meade's low-cost, high-tech telescopes have
been a hit with novice stargazers, a new market for its specialized products.

[48] [DELL COMPUTER] [Technology] The best-performing stock of the '90s slowed down this past year, but the computer maker remains committed to its customer-driven model. New
initiative: a partnership with software firm Red Hat to promote the use of Linux.

[49] [ANAREN MICROWAVE] [Telecommunications] Anaren makes pieces of the substations and amplifiers that speed the hottest form of voice and data traffic today--wireless. And it also
has products for military satellites and radar systems.

[50] [QUALCOMM] [Telecommunications] The highflying cellular company has seen its stock yo-yo over the past 12 months as investors got hyperexcited--and then massively depressed--over
potential revenue from valuable patents on CDMA technology.

[51] [COMVERSE TECHNOLOGY] [Telecommunications] When you leave voice mail, make a call using voice commands, or use your cell phone to get stock quotes, you might be using Comverse
technology. The company sells most of its customized software overseas to the likes of Deutsche Telekom.

[52] [XETA TECHNOLOGIES] [Telecommunications] Pick up the phone or surf the Net at a hotel, and Xeta delivers the service and the bill. Xeta sells and supports the systems hotels need
to handle that stuff, and has grown by buying similar assets of large communications companies.

[53] [FEDERAL-MOGUL] [Industrial] Grease monkey FMO makes engine bearings, brakes, pistons, and fuel systems for the Big Three and European car and truck builders. But its stock has
seized up, in part because of a weak euro and underperforming acquisitions.

[53] [RENT-WAY] [Retail] Rent-Way's got the goods. After more than doubling its size with the acquisition of Home Choice, this chain that rents computers, home furnishings, and
appliances continues to grow by forming alliances with companies like Gateway.

[56] [AVT] [Telecommunications] AVT makes software that lets companies access messages from their desktops and telephones. Business boomed with fears of the Y2K bug, but demand for
AVT's products --and its earnings--fell short this spring.

[56] [OSHKOSH TRUCK] [Industrial] This manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicles--fire trucks, concrete mixers, and the like--just keeps on trucking. A year and a half ago Oshkosh got its
largest order ever, a $1.2 billion contract to build a fleet of trucks for the Marines.

[58] [UNIVERSAL AMER. FINANCIAL] [Financial services] An aging population sustains this insurance company, which specializes in life and health policies for seniors and the
self-employed. Acquisitions and a big increase in new accounts boosted growth in 1999.

[59] [EMC] [Technology] The Big Kahuna of data storage and retrieval, EMC gets most of its business from companies that need to manage piles of electronic data. Eighty-one percent of
the FORTUNE 500 uses its systems, and it's growing fast overseas.

[59] [PROFIT RECOVERY GROUP INTL.][Other] Uber-accountant Profit Recovery finds money for governments and big retailers in the form of overpayments and the like. Clients like the
money, but investors are wary of any firm at the mercy of government bureaucracies.

[61] [COMPLETE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS][Technology] Now that the Y2K frenzy has subsided, this information-technology services firm has had to add e-business to its offerings. One of its
first initiatives: creating an electronic gift certificate program for retailer Lands' End.

[62] [REPUBLIC SECURITY FINANCIAL][Financial services] Republic Security had a hard time digesting its acquisition of First Palm Beach Bancorp, a large Florida thrift. It's had to
revise earnings estimates down over the past few quarters and, along with other banks, has seen its stock price suffer.

[62] [SDL] [Technology] Now you see them, now you don't. JDS Uniphase is expected to close on its $41 billion purchase of SDL in December. SDL makes top-end fiber-optic transmitters
and receivers, helping to construct plumbing for the Net.

[64] [SCANSOURCE] [Other] Technology middleman ScanSource buys bar-code scanners, printers, and telephone equipment at lower rates from big guys like IBM and Lucent and resells them
to little guys that would otherwise be priced out of the game.

[65] [CONCORD EFS] [Financial services] You pay, they collect. This electronic-transaction company processes credit and debit card purchases for grocers and small merchants.
Acquisition last year of the MAC ATM network helped boost revenues.

[65] [TRIQUINT SEMICONDUCTOR] [Technology] TriQuint uses gallium arsenide instead of silicon as the base of its integrated circuits in cell phones, pagers, and satellite systems. The
result is a faster chip that uses less power--not to mention great returns for investors.

[65] [TRANS WORLD ENTERTAINMENT] [Retail] TWE sells CDs, DVDs, and videos through Coconuts, Planet Music, Record Town, and other stores. The firm doubled its store count to nearly
1,000 after buying rival Camelot Music Holdings last year.

[69] [BIOGEN] [Health care] This biotech pharmaceuticals company is the leader in multiple sclerosis treatment drugs. Biogen also gets revenue from licensing its hepatitis B vaccine,
but 78% of its revenue comes from sales of its MS drug Avonex.

[70] [ADVENT SOFTWARE] [Technology] Advent makes software to help financial professionals manage investments. The number of users for its global accounting product, Geneva, doubled
last year. Its Website, Advent Connection, gives clients a place to share ideas.

[71] [AHL SERVICES] [Other] Once content with airport services like security and baggage handling, this outsourcer is now trying to build a marketing and inventory-management service,
making sure cookies look good on Wal-Mart's shelves.

[73] [MICREL] [Technology] Circuits, circuits. Micrel makes more than 1,300 kinds, from analog to fiber optic. Growth in the telecom and Internet networking markets helped revenues
rise, as did the recent acquisition of Synergy Semiconductor.

[73] [SOLECTRON] [Technology] These guys slave over hot printed circuitboards so Cisco doesn't have to. The world's largest electronics contract manufacturer, Solectron also builds
products for Hewlett-Packard and Sun Microsystems.

[73] [STARTEK] [Other] Outsourcing, anyone? StarTek takes the burden of filling orders, assembling and packaging products, and providing tech support from companies that don't want to
do all that. Three-quarters of last year's revenue came from Microsoft.

[76] [RELIANT ENERGY] [Other] A mere Houston utility six years ago, Reliant is now an international energy powerhouse. It recently purchased 21 power plants in the Middle Atlantic
region and hopes to jack up its valuation by housing unregulated operations in a new company.

[77] [DYCOM INDUSTRIES] [Telecommunications] The conduit company. Dycom installs and maintains the cables that allow you to talk on the phone, surf the Net, and still catch your
favorite late-night movie on cable. Clients include BellSouth, US West, and Comcast.

[77] [GREATER BAY BANCORP] [Financial services] Silicon Valley riches, plus Greater Bay's strategy of acquiring community banks and allowing them to remain independent, have helped
this West Coast financial holding company grow tenfold since its launch in 1996.

[79] [SCP POOL] [Other] Dive in! The world's largest distributor of pool supplies keeps getting bigger, with more than 27,000 customers in the U.S. and Europe. Revenues keep growing,
thanks to SCP's retail centers, which now total 127.

[80] [STANDARD PACIFIC] [Industrial] This company builds mid-market homes in California, Arizona, and Texas. But home could be where the headache is if Greenspan raises interest rates
again--past moves have already dented SP's stock price.

[81] [MTR GAMING GROUP] [Other] It pays to lose. That's what this owner of middle- to low-ante gaming resorts in Nevada and West Virginia knows well. Revenues got a boost from new
coin-drop slot machines (jackpot!) and the opening of Reno and Las Vegas resorts.

[82] [AMERICREDIT] [Financial services] AmeriCredit provides car loans to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. An alliance with Chase Bank, as well as other banks and automobile
dealers, has helped AmeriCredit increase market share in a fast-growing sector.

[83] [KELLSTROM INDUSTRIES] [Industrial] Acquisitions revved up this company, which sells and services military airplane engines and parts. But a new plan to stop taking on debt and
grow organically should clip annual revenue growth from 84% last year to about 17%.

[85] [CATELLUS DEVELOPMENT] [Industrial] This real estate company, responsible for the commercial development of San Francisco's Mission Bay, grew last year, thanks in part to
acquisitions. But its stock price suffered in 1999 as a result of industry woes.

[86] [AUTONATION] [Retail] The auto retailer that took car buying online watched as the bottom fell out of its stock this past spring. The company is doing a hearty e-commerce
business but trying to focus growth on existing businesses.

[87] [COLORADO MEDTECH] [Health care] This company makes high-end medical devices and equipment, often to clients' specifications. Last year's acquisition of assets from Creos, which
made X-ray generators for CT scanners, has proved difficult to digest, however.

[88] [NEW HORIZONS WORLDWIDE] [Other] New Horizons offers training in software applications and technical certification at more than 250 locations. It's bigger than the numbers at
left suggest: If franchise operations are included, revenues totaled $435 million last year.

[89] [KANEB SERVICES] [Other] Kaneb started out as a gas and diesel pipeline between Kansas and Nebraska. Now it's diversifying into niche tech businesses, but a dispute over who is
responsible for cleaning up an abandoned pipeline has not helped the stock.

[90] [PACIFIC SUNWEAR OF CALIF.] [Retail] For this surf- and skateboard-style clothing store chain, 16- to 22-year-olds have been the "kind" point break. However, excess inventory and
cold weather in the Northeast and Midwest have harshed on the stock's buzz.

[90] [RENAL CARE GROUP] [Health care] Provides dialysis and related services for more than 15,000 patients with chronic kidney failure. Its recent purchases of Chicago and Cleveland
providers have spurred growth while helping strengthen its position in those markets.

[92] [IMPATH] [Health care] Impath collects and interprets more cancer data than any other company in the world. It specializes in difficult-to-diagnose tumors and breast cancer.
Drug-development companies also pay dearly to access Impath's tissue bank.

[93] [KV PHARMACEUTICAL] [Health care] Controlled-release drugs and things that make yucky drugs taste good are KV's mainstay. The firm's ETHEX generic-drug subsidiary accounts for
69% of sales, but its new brand-name division, Ther-Rx, is also injecting growth.

[95] [TELLABS] [Telecommunications] Tellabs makes fiber-optic transmission systems for clients such as the regional Bells and government agencies. The company's specialty is making
sure every last fiber is working to carry information.

[97] [CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL] [Financial services] One of the top ten credit card issuers, Capital One is netting 20,000 new accounts a day. But that isn't enough for these data-driven
folks, who harness their databases to sell auto loans and other services to existing customers.

[98] [NOVA] [Financial services] Your debt fuels its profits. Last year Nova became the nation's third-largest credit and debit card processor on the strength of its business with
small to midsized merchants. Now it is processing cards for Web stores.

[99] [GUIDANT] [Health care] Guidant, a maker of medical devices to treat cardiovascular problems, got 64% of its sales last year from products that were less than a year old. A new
device to treat congestive heart failure is in clinical trials.

[100] [DORAL FINANCIAL] [Financial services] Puerto Rico's largest residential mortgage lender, with more than $13 billion under management, has spurred growth by expanding to New
York City. Despite interest rate hikes, mortgage-loan production was up in the second quarter.

N.A. Not available. [*] Name changed from Hollywood Park. [!] SanDisk's earnings got a $204 million boost from a one-time gain on an investment. [+] Kaneb had two one-time gains,
amounting to $47.5 million of net income.